This news about American troops using VoIP & video is a few weeks old, but I wanted to share it, since it's pretty interesting. SightSpeed VP of Marketing Eric Quanstrom mentioned the news to me awhile ago when we were on a SightSpeed video call. Using SightSpeed, U.S. troops are able to play PlayStation, XBox and the WII against professional athletes (Philadelphia Eagles) while seeing them (video) and "trash talking" them over the Internet (VoIP). Pro vs. G.I. Joe online gaming using SightSpeed for the communications - pretty sweet! SightSpeed has an advantage over Skype in that it supports up to 9-way video, while Skype is limited to 2-way video.

SightSpeed Inc., the leading provider of Internet video chat and conferencing, will connect sites in Philadelphia and Kuwait, Tuesday, Sept. 16, when three Philadelphia Eagles players square off eye-to-eye against U.S. Army troops in a friendly Pro vs. GI Joe interactive online Madden NFL '09 battle.

Pro vs. GI Joe is a nonprofit organization that manages and sponsors real-time video game competitions between professional athletes in the United States and troops stationed abroad over the Internet using PlayStation, XBox and the WII. The organization - whose motto is "Doin' A Little for Those Who Do A Lot" -- also arranges for the troops' family members and loved ones to travel to the U.S. sites to be a part of the event.

SightSpeed will provide the live, real-time video link between a USO center in Kuwait and the Eagles' NovaCare practice facility in South Philadelphia at 5 p.m. EDT and midnight in Kuwait.

The NFL pros - LB Stewart Bradley #55, TE Brent Celek #87 and DE Chris Clemons #91 - will be able to see and "trash talk" with their Army competitors in the Middle East through SightSpeed monitors, which will be positioned side-by-side with TV monitors displaying the video-game action.

Following the Madden NFL '09 matchup, families of the troops will be able to reconnect with their loved ones stationed far away via SightSpeed.

"This is our way of giving back to the people who are risking their lives for us every day," said Greg Zinone, founder and president of Pro vs. GI Joe. "We've found a way through technology to give our troops some temporary relief from their duties and briefly reunite them with their families while abroad."

SightSpeed is portable and connects people anywhere in the world. It's an easy-to-download software application - free to consumers -- that provides full-color, full-motion Internet video connectivity to laptop or desktop computers, regardless whether users are running Windows, Mac or Linux platforms. And thanks to SightSpeed's ability to record video chats, the players, their families and their teammates will have digital video records of their historic matchup.

"SightSpeed is the perfect connection for Pro vs. GI Joe," said SightSpeed CEO Peter Csathy. "Our quality is outstanding and we take distance out of the equation. The interactions we've seen so far between the pro athletes and the Army troops have been outstanding. The players on both sides can see themselves clearly and they have a lot of fun. And for us, it's tremendously uplifting to give the families of our service members the opportunity to see and chat with their sons or daughters on duty so far from home."

About Pro vs. GI JoePro vs. GI Joe is a nonprofit organization that boosts the morale of our brave military men and women by setting up real-time video game competitions between professional athletes and troops stationed overseas via the internet. Pro vs. GI Joe is an official partner of the USO and is the first organization to bring live gaming to troops in the Middle East. The organization was founded and run by Greg and Addie Zinone, based in Fairfax, Virginia. Addie is a Staff Sergeant in the US Army Reserve and has served two tours in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Her husband Greg came up with Pro vs. GI Joe because he believes if you don't serve, you have an obligation to support those who do. To find out more about Pro vs. GI Joe, please visit www.provsgijoe.org.

This news about American troops using VoIP & video is a few weeks old, but I wanted to share it, since it's pretty interesting. SightSpeed VP of Marketing Eric Quanstrom mentioned the news to me awhile ago when we were on a SightSpeed video call. Using SightSpeed, U.S. troops are able to play PlayStation, XBox and the WII against professional athletes (Philadelphia Eagles) while seeing them (video) and \"trash talking\" them over the Internet (VoIP). Pro vs. G.I. Joe online gaming using SightSpeed for the communications - pretty sweet! SightSpeed has an advantage over Skype in that it supports up to 9-way video, while Skype is limited to 2-way video.

SightSpeed Inc., the leading provider of Internet video chat and conferencing, will connect sites in Philadelphia and Kuwait, Tuesday, Sept. 16, when three Philadelphia Eagles players square off eye-to-eye against U.S. Army troops in a friendly Pro vs. GI Joe interactive online Madden NFL '09 battle.

Pro vs. GI Joe is a nonprofit organization that manages and sponsors real-time video game competitions between professional athletes in the United States and troops stationed abroad over the Internet using PlayStation, XBox and the WII. The organization - whose motto is \"Doin' A Little for Those Who Do A Lot\" -- also arranges for the troops' family members and loved ones to travel to the U.S. sites to be a part of the event.

SightSpeed will provide the live, real-time video link between a USO center in Kuwait and the Eagles' NovaCare practice facility in South Philadelphia at 5 p.m. EDT and midnight in Kuwait.

The NFL pros - LB Stewart Bradley #55, TE Brent Celek #87 and DE Chris Clemons #91 - will be able to see and \"trash talk\" with their Army competitors in the Middle East through SightSpeed monitors, which will be positioned side-by-side with TV monitors displaying the video-game action.

Following the Madden NFL '09 matchup, families of the troops will be able to reconnect with their loved ones stationed far away via SightSpeed.

\"This is our way of giving back to the people who are risking their lives for us every day,\" said Greg Zinone, founder and president of Pro vs. GI Joe. \"We've found a way through technology to give our troops some temporary relief from their duties and briefly reunite them with their families while abroad.\"

SightSpeed is portable and connects people anywhere in the world. It's an easy-to-download software application - free to consumers -- that provides full-color, full-motion Internet video connectivity to laptop or desktop computers, regardless whether users are running Windows, Mac or Linux platforms. And thanks to SightSpeed's ability to record video chats, the players, their families and their teammates will have digital video records of their historic matchup.

\"SightSpeed is the perfect connection for Pro vs. GI Joe,\" said SightSpeed CEO Peter Csathy. \"Our quality is outstanding and we take distance out of the equation. The interactions we've seen so far between the pro athletes and the Army troops have been outstanding. The players on both sides can see themselves clearly and they have a lot of fun. And for us, it's tremendously uplifting to give the families of our service members the opportunity to see and chat with their sons or daughters on duty so far from home.\"

About Pro vs. GI JoePro vs. GI Joe is a nonprofit organization that boosts the morale of our brave military men and women by setting up real-time video game competitions between professional athletes and troops stationed overseas via the internet. Pro vs. GI Joe is an official partner of the USO and is the first organization to bring live gaming to troops in the Middle East. The organization was founded and run by Greg and Addie Zinone, based in Fairfax, Virginia. Addie is a Staff Sergeant in the US Army Reserve and has served two tours in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Her husband Greg came up with Pro vs. GI Joe because he believes if you don't serve, you have an obligation to support those who do. To find out more about Pro vs. GI Joe, please visit www.provsgijoe.org.